Music apps make it possible for anyone to become a musician by interacting with the iPad screen. Orphion is a newly popular app that does just this by turning the iPad into a unique musical instrument that’s capable of playing expressive sounds that are described as “between string instrument and percussion.”

A quick tutorial guides users when Orphion is opened for the first time. It’s essential to disable Multitasking Gestures to get the best musical experience. To articulate sounds, users simply touch the displayed circles known as pads with their fingertips for a soft sound, tap for a plucked sound or push down for a slap sound. To divide music or group it into notes, users can utilize phrasing by sliding from pad to pad for legato or using different fingers for different pads for non-legato. The app also includes modulation for vibrato and detune by simply sliding the pad from the center.

The fun doesn’t stop there. Orphion comes packed with many other great features like individual voices, different pad layouts, MIDI support, recording and sharing, Audiobus support as well as various instrumental settings to fine tune the instrument. The app is very customizable which makes it possible for anyone to create a masterpiece with a little practice.

I’ve played with many other musical instrument apps, and Orphion really shines when it comes to functionality and ease of use. Its well-designed interface combined with impressive musical features makes it ideal for anyone looking to express themselves through unique sound.

Although Orphion is quite exceptional, it doesn’t come without a wish list of features to help make it even better. Additional pad layouts or a way to create them, the ability to change the gestures to suit individual needs and perhaps more adjustment settings to fine tune the musical instrument would be great starting points.

Orphion has actually been around for a little over a year now and it has seen many changes based on user reviews so it’s more than likely going to continue to improve with time. It’s evident that the developer has set out to create an extraordinary musical app, and it will be exciting to see what future updates bring. For now, start up a jam session with some friends and create impressive melodies to share with the world.

iPad Screenshots

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